Legendary founder and chairman of Oracle, Larry Ellison, announced earlier this year that the company will be shifting its global headquarters to Nashville, Tennessee. The announcement took many by surprise, given that the company has had a decades-long and well established presence in Silicon Valley and Austin, Texas. This marks one of many changes the technology giant’s leadership has deliberately made in recent years. Among the most prominent initiatives that the company has undertaken is its commitment to increase investment in the healthcare sector. Although Oracle has always offered enterprise technology products for healthcare applications, this became even more pronounced in 2021 when the company decided to move forward with its acquisition of famed electronic health records (EHR) system Cerner in a deal worth nearly $28 billion. Nashville is a key part of this story. Slowly but surely, the city has become a hot-bed of innovation for the healthcare sector. By some accounts, nearly 900 healthcare companies are in Nashville today, alongside 17 publicly traded healthcare entities. These account for almost 333,000 jobs in the area, adding approximately $68 billion in local economic impact. One prominent example is HCA, which is one of the largest healthcare systems in the world. HCA is headquartered in Nashville and operates 186+ hospitals and more than 2,400 ambulatory sites of care as a part of its expansive network. Additionally, the pipeline for talent in Nashville is strong. Oracle has announced that it will be entering a partnership with Meharry Medical College to establish a new health technology research innovation hub as a means to: engage with community stakeholders, provide training and hands-on learning to users, and ultimately, work with local advocates, organizations and experts to ensure their healthcare ambitions align with the needs of the community. Per The Tennessean, Dr. David Feinberg, Chairman of Oracle Health and previously CEO of Cerner Corporation, explains that “Health care is based on people caring for people, and you've got to trust one another…When you go into these types of communities, the key way to do it, in my humble opinion, is with a trusted partner, and we found that in Meharry.” Dr. James Hildreth, President of Meharry College, expressed a similar sentiment: “It's time to do what we do in a modern context, and a modern context means using technology to address issues of access, issues of quality of care, even how we educate future physicians.” Undoubtedly, Nashville and the surrounding communities will benefit greatly from these initiatives, given the technology giant’s commitment to the area and the secondary impacts of this commitment, including: a massive employment pipeline, the growth of local educational institutions, billions of dollars in research and development spending, and ultimately, an opportunity to leverage innovation and technology to positively impact local community health outcomes.

Oracle Is Going All In On Nashville— And Healthcare Is A Key Reason

Oracle, under the leadership of Larry Ellison, is moving its global headquarters to Nashville, Tennessee, with a significant focus on the healthcare sector. The company's decision to acquire Cerner for nearly $28 billion in 2021 underscores its commitment to the healthcare industry. Nashville is home to nearly 900 healthcare companies and 17 publicly traded healthcare entities, contributing significantly to the local economy and employment. Oracle is partnering with Meharry Medical College to establish a health technology research innovation hub, emphasizing community engagement and the use of technology to improve healthcare outcomes.